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JUPITER, Fla. – Adam Wainwright doesn’t have a contract extension yet, but that won’t keep him from taking the mound Monday for his first sprint start.

Wainwright will take the ball for the first time this spring when the Cardinals host the Houston Astros at 12:05 CT at Roger Dean Stadium.

The Cardinals and Wainwright have been working on a long-term extension to keep the right-hander in St. Louis but have yet to come to an agreement. He enters the final year of his current deal this season.

Allen Craig is dealing with an achy right shoulder and the Cardinals don’t want to put him in the field this early in spring if they don’t have to. But that doesn’t mean he can’t bat.

Craig will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup, his first start of the spring. He pinch-hit Sunday afternoon and had a broken-bat RBI single and now figures to get two or three at-bats from the start.

Most of the regulars who started Saturday and took Sunday off are back in the lineup Monday against the Astros. Jon Jay, Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina and David Freese will all make their second spring starts.